Fitting for connecting siding members



Jan. 24, 1950 E. J. WISNIEWSKI FITTING FOR CONNECTING SIDING MEMBERS Filed Au 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQR.

ATTOF/VEKS Jan. 24, 1950 E. J. WISNIEWSKI 5,

FITTING FOR CONNECTING SIDING MEMBERS Filed Aug. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gNVENToR.

atented Jan. 24, 1950 2- UNITED STAT OFFICE FITTING FOR CONNECTING .SIDING. MEMBERS Edward J. WisniewskipBuffalmN; Y.

Application August .21, 194.7; vSeriaI No.765L879 This invention relates to a. fitting. or clipfor' connecting the adjacent parts of building siding members or' clapboards or the like. 7

As is well known it is now the general practice in carpentry to terminate the opposing ends of two members or sections .of siding or clapboards over an upright'stud of the building frame and to nail these ends to this stud for the purpose of supporting the ends of the siding members and also to close the joint between the same to exclude rain, snow and wind. Inasmuch as the studs of a building frame are usually equally spaced it is often necessaryto cutoff the ends of Siding members or sections in a course in order to bring the ends of the same over a stud and this necessarily results in the waste of considerable material and increases the cost of the building.

It is the object of the invention to provide a fitting or clip whereby the opposing ends of siding members may be not only connected with each other but also connected with a member of an adjacent row of siding so that thesev several members are reliably held in the proper position regardless of whether the joint between the same comes over a stud or other support without the use of nails and also so construct this fitting that the same will reliably close the joint between the siding members on the outer side thereof and also along the lower edges thereof so as to positively exclude weather from this joint.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the sidin of a building showing a plurality of its siding sections or members connected by a fitting embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately on line 3-3, Fig. 1'.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section, on

an enlarged scale, taken on line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlar ed scale, taken on line 55; Fig. 4 but showing the siding members omitted.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the fitting embodying this invention detached from the siding members in connection with which the same is to be used.

I Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower part of the fitting.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The numerals H), B represent two members or sections of a course of siding or clapboards 3 Gianna. (CI-l fits-33) 2, posing ends arranged to each other" and [2 represents a" member or'sebtion of a clapboard which forms part of the next lower course of siding and extends horizontally across the vertical gap 13' between the two'upper siding members H1, H) as indicated in Figs. '1, v2 and 4. These siding members'or clapboards may be either of uniform thickness throughout or they may be .of the usually upwardly tapering form in cross section with the lower thick part of one course outwardly overlapping the thinupp'er part of the. next lower course in the usual manner;

The fitting. clip which embodies this invention for connecting the opposing ends of the siding members in one course withea'c'h other and also with a siding member of thenext lower course in its preferred form is" constructed as follows:

This fitting includes'two' upright channels each ofwhich is provided with an upright transverse web M, anouter upright longitudinal flange 15 connected at its rear edge with the outer edge of the web and projecting laterally therefrom and an inner upright longitudinal flange [5 connected at; its rear edge with the inner edge of the web M and projecting laterally therefrom.

These two channels are arranged horizontally side by side with their backs or closed sides opposing each otherv while their open sides face away from one'another. The opposing ends of two adjacent siding members in a course are slipped into these channels and these several parts are preferably held in an assembled condition .solely'by friction and without the use of any nails or other fastening means for connecting the same with each other or with a support.

The space or gap l3'between the opposing webs of the two channels is covered by an upright bridge plate; I! which extends across this gap and has its opposite vertical end portions engaging with the outer sides of the outer flanges i5 of the two channels. In the preferred construction the opposite vertical edges of this bridge plate are connected with the front edges of the. outer flanges l5. This plate. is formed integrally with the channels from a. single sheet of metal, as shown in Fig. 4.

The two channels preferably terminate at their lower ends flush with the lower edges of. the meeting sidin members to which they are applied and the lower end of the. space between the backs of the channels is closed by means of a horizontal closure flange I.8 which projects horizontally in- .ward from the lower end of the bridge plate l! .across the lower end of the gap 13 and engages which have the vertical edges H, ll of their op;- with the lower edges of these siding members purpose. vtaining hooks at the lower ends of the inner 3 adjacent to this gap. This closure flange is preferably made integrally with the bridge plate I! and prevents rain, snow and wind from driving through this joint into the interior of the building. The upper end of the bridge plate I! extends underneath the siding member IQ of the next upper course, thereby causing the gap I3 between the opposing ends of the siding members I I, I I to be completely closed and thereby effectively prevents the weather from driving through this gap into the interior of the building.

Means are provided whereby the opposing end portions of the siding members II, I I in one course are interlocked with and supported on the adjacent part of the next lower course, which means also serve as a gage whereby the siding members in each upper row or course may be properly spaced relative to the next lower course of siding without exercising special care for this This is accomplished by providing reflanges I6 of the channels, each of these hooks including an upright tang or tongue 20 arranged at the lower end of each inner flange I6 and a neck 2I connecting the upper end of this tang with the lower end of the respective inner flange I6. This tang and its neck are formed integrally with the respective inner flange from sheet metal.

In assembling the fitting or clip with a siding ,member of a lower course the tangs of the fitting are slipped downwardly over the respective lower siding member so that these tangs engage with the inner side of the respective siding member and the underside of the neck 2| engages with the upper edge of the respective siding member,

as shown in Fig. 3. In this manner the underside of the neck forms a stop which limits the downward movement of the fitting or clip on this lower siding member and thus properly locates the siding members I I, II of the next upper course relative thereto when the same are engaged with the channels of the fitting.

The tongues and necks of the retaining hooks are formed integrally with the respective inner channel flanges IS by cutting a slit 22 between the rear edge of each of these hooks and the adjacent part of the respective inner channel flange I6 and bending the respective part of the metal of this flange inwardly to form the neck 2| and offset the tang 28 the required distance inwardly from the respective inner channel flange to form a hook. By varying the length of the slits 22, the

necks 2I may be arranged different distances from the lower ends of the channels and thus locate the stop of the hooks varying distances from the lower ends of the fitting and permit of overlapping the lower and upper edges of adjacent course of shingle to greater or lesser extent as desired.

Inasmuch as the use of this fitting does not require the joints between the siding sections or members to be located over any studs or other supports, a saving is not only effected in the time of the carpenter to square the meeting ends of the boards in a course but it also avoids the waste of material such as occurred when cutting off the ends of clapboards for the purpose of locating the joints between clapboard sections over a stud for nailing purposes.

non-beveled and straight sided.

In using this fitting its channels are preferably made comparatively Wide so that the same in their largest form will fit clapboards of the greatest thickness and thus also enable the same to be used in connection with thinner clapboards by giving the same a hammer blow after being assembled and thus reducing the size of the fitting to hold the thinner clapboards. After the fitting and clapboards have been assembled the same are held in their proper relative position without nailing the same at the joints to any studs or other supports.

Owing to the fitting being made of a single piece of sheet metal no soldering is required in its manufacture, thereby reducing its cost.

Due to the bridge plate closing the outer side of the joint between the channels and siding members of a course and the bottom flange on the lower end of the bridge plate closing the lower end of this joint, the entrance of weather to the building through this joint is positively prevented and thus preserves the building.

I claim:

1. A fitting for connecting the adjacent parts of building siding members or the like, comprising two channels of U-shape cross section each of which has a web and inner and outer flanges at opposite edges of the web and said channels having their closed rear sides facing inwardly and their open front sides facing outwardly and adapted to receive the opposing ends of two siding members, a bridge plate arranged along the outer side of the outer flanges of both channels and extending across the space between rear closed sides thereof and connected at its opposite edges with the front edges of the front flanges of both channels and retaining hooks formed integrally on the lower ends of the inner flanges of said channels and off-set inwardly therefrom and adapted to extend over the upper edge of a lower siding member which is arranged below and underlies the siding members which project into said channels.

2. A fitting for connecting the adjacent parts of building siding members or the like, comprising two channels of U-shape cross section each of which has a web and inner and outer flanges at opposite edges of the web and said channels having their closed rear sides facing inwardly and their open front sides facing outwardly and adapted to receive the opposing ends of, two siding members, a bridge plate arranged along the outer side of the outer flanges of both channels and extending across the space between rear closed sides thereof and connected at its opposite edges with the front edges of the front flanges of both channels and retaining hooks formed integrally on the lower ends of the inner flanges of said channels and off-set inwardly therefrom and adapted to extend over the upper edge of a lower siding member which is arranged below and underlies the siding members which project into said channels and the upper part of said hook forming a downwardly facing shoulder which is arranged to engage with the upper edge of said lower siding member.

3. A fitting for connecting the adjacent parts of building siding members or the like, comprising two channels of U-shape cross section each of which has a web and inner and outer flanges at opposite edges of the web, and said channels having their closed rear sides facing inwardly and their open front sides facing outwardly and adapted to receive the opposing ends of two siding members, a bridge plate arranged along the 5 outer side of the outer flanges of both channels and extending across the space between rear closed sides thereof and connected at its opposite edges with the front edges of the front flanges {of both channels, and retaining hooks formed integrally on the lower ends of the inner flanges of said channels and ofi-set inwardly therefrom and adapted to extend over the upper edge of a lower siding member which is arranged below and un derlies the siding members which project into said channels, each of said retaining hooks having its inner edge separated by a slit from the web of the respective channel which may be madeof EDWARD J. WISNIEWSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The followingfr'eferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITE l5 STATES PATENTS I Name Date Balletta NOV. 12, 1935 Number 

